Memo. Things To Do: Start a petition to change Pennsylvania elections from Tuesday to Sunday. The Free Press' Monday deadline now delays our coverage of the results for a week. Not to worry. There is always an amusing pre-election sideshow of stories that might otherwise be overlooked.
Breakin' All The Rules: The souvenirs that school board candidate Linda Martin handed out at the Quakertown Halloween parade were laughingly ironic. Remember, Martin's campaign evaded QCSD's ethics policy by distributing her political flyers on school property. She then made such untrue accusations about her opponents that her own campaign manager had to publicly apologize. So what does a candidate who ignores the rules hand out? Rulers, of course! Hopefully she kept one for herself, a reminder that even school directors - particularly school directors - have to follow the rules.
But the real punch line - Martin's rulers violated state election laws!!! They didn't have the mandated message stating who paid for them. And Martin personally sent an angry email to State Senator Rob Wonderling, complaining that he contributed to her opponents. Win or lose, Martin is a repeated embarrassment, setting the worst possible example for QCSD. Her board majority buddies look the other way, but Superintendent Andrejko is already drafting rules to prevent a repeat of Martin's improper actions.
Pat-trick Or Treat: Richland supervisor candidate Patrick Murphy distributed custom-wrapped candy at the Halloween parade, after handing out coupons for ice cream at Qtown's Community Day. Fortunately for him, there aren't too many dieticians and dentists voting in Richland. But one parade-goer described the candy giveaway with the best line of the campaign season - Suckers for Suckers.
Rip Van Hallman: Quakertown Council President Dennis Hallman provided his own laughs when he dramatically declared that those annoying little roadside advertising signs, which point house-hunters toward developments, are the "trashing of America". In fact, they do violate ordinances, and are unsightly. But the humor here is that Hallman has been on council for more than 20 years, and never said a word. Two weeks before an election, he patriotically spoke up - when a resident finally complained. Under what tree has our council president been asleep?
Bringing The War Home: The award for the most ridiculous vote-for-me plea goes to Fred Viskovich, who was challenging 28-year incumbent Bill Snyder for county treasurer. Would you believe "Voting for me would also be an outlet for one's expression of opposition to the Iraq War"! Now that's the innovative thinking we need from the man trusted with investing the county's money. I guess he won't be buying us any war bonds.
Turn Out The Leight: Bob Leight has resigned as a Free Press columnist, mooting the issue of whether an elected public official should have his own weekly forum for promoting his personal agenda.
Signs, Signs, Nowhere Signs: No matter who won the Richland Supervisor race, Patrick Murphy was the clear victor in the now-you-see-them-now-you-don't yard-sign longevity contest. The Rick Orloff campaign reported over 100 signs missing around the township, 40 alone on the first night they were posted. A sharp-eyed resident did see someone performing the dirty deed, and described him as a tall man in a baseball cap, with long arms and legs, driving a sleek red car. Not enough information for an arrest, but the description does match a man who was previously escorted from a polling place by police for - tearing down campaign signs. Murphy, by the way, opposes increasing the coverage of Richland's police force.
DeGreat Debate: About 40 people, many of them party faithful, friends, and families of the participants, attended the debate for the eight Quakertown council hopefuls. Either the candidates had already done a great job of informing the voters, or the borough is still ground zero for apathy. My guess is Door Number Two. If so, residents may well get what they are asking for (by not asking at all). Lack of public interest fueled all of the abuses that Qtown is now struggling to overcome.
Those who did show up were treated to two statements that would be funny if they weren't so sad. Steve Biddle criticized his opponents' handling of the borough electric contract, but then admitted that he wasn't even aware that residents' electric fees went into the town's general fund to help keep taxes down. And when his equally-clueless running mate, Nancy Roberts, was asked what she would do about skyrocketing utility rates, her only answer was that she didn't know, but was willing to learn! Hopefully, their teacher will not be long-time pal, former borough manager Dave Woglom, who appeared at their fundraiser. It was Woglom's failure to understand the town's electric contract that led to the huge increases, and his resignation.
Petered Out: Speaking of fundraiser appearances, former State Rep. Peter Kostmayer, who was scheduled to offer his formal endorsement for Murphy, backed out, citing a "scheduling conflict". A local Dem leader explained "I guess he just wants to protect his good name. From what I found out, he heard what Murphy was standing for, and didn't want to be associated with it. There was no scheduling conflict. The event was put together by a close friend of Kostmayer (Qtown committeewoman, and Murphy's campaign treasurer, Shirley Andres). If he wanted to be there, he would have made it."
Grand Finale: QCSD's newest board member, Kathy Mosley, has fit in just perfectly with the Quite Commonly Secret District. She complained that this column reveals "too much information" to the public. And, sadly, the entire board has devolved into political charges, name-calling, and absurd accusations which have nothing at all to do with their mission statement, and everything to do with animosity and personal agendas. Political alliances eclipse district needs. Blogs are treated as gospel, while the majority ignores the unethical actions of one of their own that would have them rioting in the streets if done by an opponent. Superintendent Andrejko is the mayor, and only sane resident, of Dysfunctional City.